Small Comforts
by Strickens
Summary: Shepard seeks reassurance and comfort from her Shadow Broker before the jump through the Omega-4 relay. Set during ME2; LOTSB DLC


Warmth. Comfort. Peace. Just a sample of the things Liara was experiencing right now as she lay nestled in the crook where Shepard's arm met her chest. A drowsy smile was plastered across the Asari's face that hadn't shifted since the Commander had dropped by Hagalaz for the unexpected- but not unwanted- visit.

When her Info Drone had informed her that the Normandy was docking and that Commander Shepard was boarding the ship, Liara had almost spilled her afternoon glass of wine all over the data pad she had been going through as she had taken her 'break' that Feron had so insisted upon.

With the info updates she had been receiving, she had assumed that they would be hitting the Omega-4 relay soon, and that with her overwhelming workload the Commander wouldn't find the time to see her before she ran off on her suicide mission.

How pleasantly wrong she had been.

Laying here in the warm orange glow of the mood lighting Liara had installed in her bedroom, she was more than happy to forget the piles of work and xetabytes of data streaming through the monitors as Feron and the Info Drone took care of everything for her. She was certainly grateful for it, and was thankful for room soundproofing as she was almost sure that could have leant to some embarrassment, had they have heard how her and Shepard had ravaged each other for almost two hours. Being away from your bond mate for extended periods certainly had that effect on both of them.

Reaching up, Liara slowly cupped the cheek of her snoozing lover. The Commander didn't move, her chest still rising and falling in a steady rhythm, her breath coming out in warm bursts that tickled the Asari's face.

She hadn't had much opportunity thus far to inspect the deep scars that cut valleys through Shepard's face, her mechanical implants casting a ferocious red glow from underneath the tender looking flesh. It was almost impossible to believe, to think that underneath her lover's skin laid possibly more technology now than organic tissue, a steep price to pay for the life that Cerberus had given back to the Commander; and to Liara.

Remembering back to Illium, when she had seen Shepard again for the first time alive since before losing her on the Normandy SR-1, she had felt her gut fill with grief as she saw the woman approach her.

The Commander's eyes were ringed with dark circles, as though she hadn't slept in weeks. Her pupils were flecked with the orange glow of implants that gave away the existence of artificial retinas, and those scars marred her cheeks, jaw, and neck like the gaping maw of a vicious beast that would rip a limb off if you put your hand where it shouldn't be. This fight against the Collector's had taken its toll on her brave, strong warrior, she could see it in her eyes and see it in the way Shepard slumped whenever her team mates were out of sight.

Their kiss that day had been forceful, needy; Liara let Shepard spill all her frustrations and despair into her lips, while at the same time returning the favour; all the hurt and anger over losing her for two years, missing her so badly and now she just walked in like everything was fine.

Now here they lay, Liara trailing her fingers over the bumpy ridges of skin that encompassed her lover's scars, her lips parted just a touch as she marvelled at how the implants seemed to flicker and spark under the surface wherever she made contact. It must have been painstaking work to replace necrotic nerve tissue with an artificial network.

Shepard grunted softly, her brow twitching before it crinkled in what was usually a sign of her annoyance, and the Asari cursed inwardly as she watched the Commander's eyes slowly flutter open, her chest rising to fully inhale a deep lung full of air.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Liara apologised quietly, tilting her head to press a warm kiss just above Shepard's breast while maintaining eye contact. The human seemed to consider her for a long moment, before her lips finally broke into a lazy smile and a deep chuckle sang from her throat, causing Liara's head to bounce momentarily against her body.

"Don't be. If I could wake up like this every morning then maybe Miranda would stop mother-henning me about my less than sunny disposition," Shepard replied sleepily, breathing in another deep breath before focussing her gaze back on Liara to see the confusion on her face. The Commander laughed again, forgetting that the Asari still wasn't familiar with a lot of her human idioms.

"Ah, Miranda just thinks I'm being too hard on my crew."

Liara nodded, the expression on her Shepard's face indicating that this was a sore subject for her.

"You're afraid of growing attachments in case something happens to one of them," the Asari replied in a low voice, her fingers trailing patterns along the humans collarbone. Shepard's eyes drifted closed again, letting out a dismissive grunt as the arm she had around Liara pulled the smaller woman closer.

Accepting that the Commander probably wouldn't elaborate further for the moment, she went back to the cracks covering her face. Long blue fingers traced along the ridge of a large and almost volcanic looking line that ran the length of her cheek, from ear to chin. As if almost by instinct, Shepard's eyes snapped open and her free arm shot up, her rough and calloused fingers grasping around the Asari's so tightly it shocked the young maiden. It seemed the human still didn't realise her own strength with her new implants, Liara whimpering softly at the rough contact; not painful, but certainly uncomfortable.

Something snapped behind Shepard's flickering eyes as she quickly loosened her grip, rushing in to press her lips gingerly against her bond mate's, only pulling away when she felt Liara's forgiveness and eagerness through the kiss.

"Sorry."

Liara shook her head in protest, now intertwining her fingers with the woman's. "No, I'm sorry, I should have asked. Do they hurt?"

Shepard stared at her for several seconds as if trying to discern how she should answer, before giving in to the Asari. The human nodded her head just enough that Liara was able to see it, the artificially enhanced eyes flitting away as if ashamed.

"I'm sorry," unlinking their hands, Liara reached up, running her fingers through the tangled mess of dusty blonde hair that hung about the Commander's face like a mane.

Without warning, Shepard's head dipped down again, this time her lips met with Liara's neck. The young Asari quivered and gasped as she felt sharp teeth graze along her pulse point, nipping gently. A moan escaped Liara's throat as she felt those lips travel to the most sensitive area of her neck, underneath the dip of her jaw where the folds of her crest began.

She felt a section of her skin suckled by Shepard, tongue dipping down and circling while teeth clamped down possessively, sending a sharp spike of pleasure down Liara's spine. Arching her back instinctively, her arms wrapped around the blonde woman lavishing her body with lustful need, dragging her nails down Shepard's back and chewing on her lower lip at the gruff moan it drew out of the Commander.

As quickly as their encounter had turned sexual in nature, Shepard's neck biting changed to soft kisses as she pulled away and looked into Liara's now confused eyes, such changes in the mood sending mixed signals throughout her body.

"I just, I uh," Shepard's cheeks coloured with a gentle blush as she looked away, her tell-tale sign of unsureness then followed as she rubbed at the back of her neck. Liara stroked her love's upper back, a fluttering growing in her stomach as she felt the way the thick strips of muscles flexed underneath the Commander's skin.

"Whatever it is, you know you can tell me Shepard," the Asari offered kindly, smiling warmly as she noted that the blonde's face softened considerably and her blush slowly crept away.

"It's just... well, you're not freaked out by them or anything are you? I know I'm not exactly the same woman who's bed you shared two years ago," Shepard stated quietly, the concern in her voice evident despite the fact that her and Liara had previously given their bodies to each other for hours on end, new scars and old scars alike.

While it was true the glaring implants and network of scars covering Shepard's body stood out like a sore thumb, the woman's waist had thickened out with layers of muscle and her thighs had the tear-drop shape that most people dreamed of. Her arms were efficient killing machines, biceps and triceps twitching underneath the skin as the Commander unleashed a swirl of biotics that could rip a person in half.

But these were all physical changes, and although Shepard still didn't know her own strength, that same beautiful mind that Liara had fallen for during the chase for Saren was still there, and still as bright and amazing as it always had been.

Liara ran a calming palm along the length of Shepard's side, noting the way the taught skin seemed to tremble underneath her fingers, marvelling at how it raised up in lumps as what the Commander said once were called 'goosebumps' and could be caused from the cold or also from sensitivity to another's touch.

"I will answer that question for you, but only if you answer something for me first," Liara replied in a gentle tone, her lips smoothed into a small smile as she watched the sceptical expression cross her lover's face.

Shepard considered her for a few moments, her eyes searching the Asari's soothing blue eyes before she dipped her head down and pressed their lips together in a soft sign of submission. The Commander's head nodded as she pulled away, much to Liara's relief that she was agreeing.

Shifting her body weight to the side, Shepard propped herself up on an elbow, the thin cream sheets sliding down to catch on her hip while her torso stretched out, the 'V shape' leading towards her crotch instantly capturing Liara's eyes as she admired it.

"Alright, what do you want to know?" the blonde's deep voice, laden with an amused edge snapped Liara out of her reverie, bringing her eyes back up to her lover's face.

A shake of her head managed to clear out the inappropriate thoughts for the time being, cursing at that moment how easy it was for her to become enraptured by the sleek warrior's physique. _Focus, Liara, she's waiting for you to open that mouth of yours and reveal what it is that's truly on your mind._

Continuing to stroke Shepard's side, running her fingers along its length and up further, until she reached a thick muscled shoulder that she curled her hand around, Liara's eyes revealed a level of concern that unnerved the Commander.

"You know that as the Shadow Broker I have access to a vast information network. I was able to come across some security footage from on board the Normandy-"

"Wait, you've been spying on me?" Shepard asked quickly, an eyebrow raised. She wasn't surprised or even angry, the corner of her lip turning up into a playful smile as she watched the colour of Liara's cheeks darken. "Worried I'm gonna' be unfaithful?"

A cheeky and knowing smile was returned, the Asari's eyes lowering and swirling with hidden desire as her hand began to trace along the length of her lover's collarbone.

"Of course not. If my memory serves me, I believe you were the one crying out my name not an hour ago. You were the one that said no other could ever compare to me," her expression softened as her ministrations continued, moving closer to press a warm kiss to her Commander's lips, letting it linger before she continued.

"No. I've seen footage of you and some of the others on your crew," her voice lowered as she could see something flash behind Shepard's eyes, she almost appeared as though she was a wild animal caught between staying in place or fleeing. "Why do you treat them so harshly?"

Shepard shifted uncomfortably, averting her gaze and biting down gingerly on her lower lip, though she stayed in place. Liara moved her hand to cup her cheek, pressing into it with tenderness until the woman's eyes swooped back down to meet hers.

"You push them away as though they mean nothing to you. You feign indifference to their problems, and I've seen the way you and Jacob lash out at each other when you question him on Miranda and whether his feelings for her will affect your mission," holding the stare of those eyes burning like embers, she continued.

"You were so quick to allow Garrus to put a bullet through Sidonis's head without trying to reason with him. You executed Kolyat's hostage in cold blood without even blinking," shifting her hand up further, she allowed the pad of her thumb to trail against Shepard's lower lip. The woman allowed her mouth to part, a hitched breath escaping at the contact.

"Yet when we were together on the Normandy, you were the first to show kindness and empathy to me despite the crew's belief I could have been a sympathiser with Saren; you've shown me compassion like no other ever has, and I wonder what I ever did to capture your attention in such a way," a small smile crept onto her features now as her voice softened further, her eyes sparkling with brightness but also wonder as she awaited a response from the woman before her.

Lifting a hand up to her face, Shepard took Liara's in her own, bringing it to her lips so that she might kiss its palm while letting her eyes drift closed. She felt the warmth of the azure skin, relishing it before letting the hand go and bringing hers to Liara's crest, stroking the delicate lengths of cartilage in an endearing manner.

"Liara," Shepard's voice came out hoarse and almost in a whisper, her eyes glistening as she leaned in close and began pressing feather light kisses to the Asari's freckles. This took Liara off guard, a giggle dancing from her throat as those warm lips caressed her face so tenderly, so affectionately; a far cry from the ferocious beast she unleashed on the battlefield.

Bumping their noses together, the Commander closed her eyes while inhaling a slow breath. "It's funny, before all of this, before the Reapers and the Collectors and Saren... I could never see myself being with anyone for longer than a few nights," her eyes cracked open just a touch, the red glow in them dimmed enough to reveal the true beauty that lay beyond them. "And then I saw you, trapped in that damn Prothean bubble."

Liara blushed, blinking slowly as she scooted closer to the warm body beside her, using one of her own thighs to push between Shepard's just to be as near as possible to her as she could. The human chuckled low in her throat, tangling their legs together and running her hand down her lover's body, resting it at her lower back and pressing her closer.

"I swear to God the moment I saw you my mind went blank, and all that was there was you. This gorgeous, magnificent woman, floating before me like an angel," pressing a kiss to Liara's nose, she continued. "I had to know you. Saving you, having you with me on the ship, this brilliant scientist with an incredible mind that contained so much knowledge... and yet so small and innocent."

Her heart skipped a beat, the Asari feeling her eyes prickle as they threatened to spill tears down her cheeks, yet she wouldn't have it. She had to hold that gaze, watch the way Shepard's lip twitched into a loving smile and the way the humans gaze drank her in with adoration.

"I'd never wanted to spend my life with anyone... until I met you," Shepard's voice wavered but her hand was steady as it stroked Liara's back in smoothing motions, confirming everything she was saying. "You were also my moral compass, because of you I learned to show compassion where otherwise military training would have won out. Where I had been taught violence, you taught restraint; where I was given no other option, you gave me a way out; where I was taught there was only evil and ugliness in the Universe, you showed me its beauty."

Well, she couldn't hold it in any longer. She felt the heat and sting of salty tears slipping down her cheeks, blinking her eyes multiple times to clear the bleariness as it coated her vision, a small whimper escaping her throat. Ducking her head, she hid it in the crook of Shepard's neck, the strands of blonde hair there tickling against her nose and cheeks.

"Aw jeez, see now I've gone and made you cry. You must think I'm an awful girlfriend," Shepard spoke warmly, tucking Liara firmer against her and managing to wriggle a hand between them to wipe away the tears.

A small laugh managed to escape Liara's mouth, her warm breath brushing against her Commander's neck before she pressed her lips to that same spot. Allowing herself to hum a soft sound of contentment, she revelled in the way the humans hands stroked and soothed her body in a gentle way no soldier should ever be capable of.

"You are a wonderful girlfriend, and I am the luckiest person in the Universe to be able to call you my own."

Peering up, Liara was met with a mischievous grin that only the one and only Commander Shepard could pull off while both looking like she had hatched a wonderful scheme and like the most innocent woman in the room.

"Well I'm glad that's settled then, it would be a little hard for me to have all those little blue children without you," she teased, letting out a playful laugh as Liara's cheeks darkened and her lips fell into a contagious smile herself.

"Shepard!" her reply came out less stern than she had hoped, and she could unfortunately feel her own joy rising up to burn in her chest as she stared back at those intense eyes, burning her right down to her core. It was too much, and she found herself needing to close her eyes, the smile still remaining as Shepard rested their foreheads together.

"I can wait a while though. I don't think the Universe could handle the offspring of Commander Shepard and Doctor T'soni just yet," the human woman mumbled contentedly, her fingers doing wonderful things to the folds along the nape of Liara's neck.

The prospect that this woman would actually want to have a family with her was almost too overwhelming. It wasn't that she didn't, she desperately _did_ want to have children with Shepard, and it was times like these she wasn't entirely sure she hadn't died in that mine on Therum and this was some wonderful afterlife the Goddess had blessed her with. Of course, the constant Reaper and Collector threat was reminder enough that this was real.

"The Normandy isn't the same without you baby," the human term of endearment sent a shiver down Liara's spine, as did the naked confession that had left the Commander's lips.

"Waking up every morning in that empty bed, knowing that you should be there," shaking her head softly, Shepard lowered her voice, husky and full of bottled emotions. "Then with Miranda constantly on my case about getting the job done, Jacob and his infuriating straight-laced attitude, sometimes I wonder if he isn't a robot himself. Then with everyone else expecting me to fix all their problems while we have a god-damned job and a mission to do."

Liara could feel the unrestrained frustration and stress beginning to worm their way up to the surface, knowing that Shepard needed to let this out, all she did was hold her closer and press a reassuring kiss to her lips while waiting for her to continue.

A soft sigh escaped Shepard's lips, the affection soothing her rattled nerves enough to continue. "I feel like a glorified babysitter. Then there's Doctor Chakwas telling me to stop being such a grouch if I want to get rid of these damn scars..."

Now it was Liara's turn to answer Shepard's question. Pressing both her hands against her love's cheeks, she pulled their faces far enough apart so that they could look into each others eyes. She could see the doubt resurfacing, worry lines crinkling the Commander's forehead; she imagined those lines had made themselves a lot more present since her resurrection at the hands of Cerberus.

"Shepard," Liara began firmly, but with an undertone of affection beneath her voice, turning the woman's face so that she could place the softest kiss possible against one of the cracks. A soft hiss escaped Shepard's lips at the contact, but she allowed it nevertheless.

"I love you, scars or no scars," another press further down, kissing along the length of a thin, angry tendril. Fingers dug into the Asari's back, however she felt it was more out of the woman's need to have her here right now than out of pain or discomfort. "You are everything I fell in love with two years ago," a tender trail of kisses along a sharp jawline and across to the opposite cheek.

Pulling away, she could see a wave of relief now overtaking the woman's features. Her forehead smoothed out, and her lips twitched up into a bashful smile, pearly white teeth poking out to bite against her lower lip as she looked into the eyes of her Asari bond mate.

"And more," Liara added playfully, running the back of her hand at an achingly slow pace down between the valley of Shepard's breasts, eliciting a soft groan of appreciation from those plump and peachy lips. Pleased with the results, the Asari turned her hand so that she could press the warmth of her palm against the flat of Shepard's abdomen, her fingers raking across the taut and muscular plane.

"Well, when you-_ah!_ When you put it like _that.._." Shepard replied, her voice strained as her eyelids fluttered closed and she bit down on her lip yet again as Liara's hand circled lower and lower, those slender blue digits finally being daring enough to slide underneath the border of the sheets.

"Have I made a compelling argument?" Liara's teasing voice lowered, taking on the sound of pure desire as her hand reached it's destination, dipping carefully into the heat awaiting her. A low growl made its way from Shepard's throat, and in one swift movement Liara found herself being rolled onto her back, a small squeak of surprise accompanying the smile that followed as she peered up into the smoky and lust filled eyes of the Commander above her.

Liara's breath caught in her throat and a burning coil of heat wound tightly in her lower abdomen as Shepard begun rolling her hips against her blue fingers. Staring up at the beautiful sight of her lover's face scant inches from her own, she moved her hand in a slow rhythm that she knew drove her wild, ignoring her own need as the woman's head collapsed against her shoulder.

"Shepard," Liara whispered, feeling the gentle nipping from earlier against her neck, the sensations only adding to the pulsing need between her legs. "You didn't answer my question."

"Stow it, T'soni," Shepard mumbled, followed by a languid moan as she rocked her hips in need to increase friction. Fortunately for her, Liara was more than happy to comply with her wishes.

Within the next few weeks, the Commander would be going through the Omega-4 relay without her. They said it was a suicide mission, but she knew better; the Commander had made a promise that she would always come back, and Liara knew she would never break that promise to her.

Right now, it was all she could do to share as much love, affection and reassurance as she could with the love of her life. As their bodies moved together in the dim lighting with practised precision and passion, there was absolutely nowhere else the Universe that either one of them wanted to be.


End file.
